Tour of Turkey Photos Apr 24 - May 1

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Photos from the nine finishing circuits in Istanbul. Omega Pharma-Lotto at the front of the chase.	Lampre	Garmin
Tyler Farrar (Garmin)		NetApp
De Rosa	Team Type 1	Skil-Shimano
Cofidis	Tyler Farrar (Garmin)	Omega Pharma-Lotto
Lampre	A break by Veranda's Willems	As expected, none of the breaks succeeded. Andrea Guardini (Farnese Vini - Neri Sottoli) jumped with 250-300m ahead of Tyler Farrar (Garmin, obscured) and Kenny Van Hummel (Skil-Shimano, right).
In the bunch, Lampre's Alessandro Petacchi obviously isn't happy with someone's sprint etiquette although, ironically, he could easily get DQ'ed/relegated for taking his hand of the his bars.	22 year-old Italian sprinting sensation Andrea Guardini (Farnese Vini - Neri Sottoli) takes the first stage at this year's Tour of Turkey. You may recall he took 6 stage wins at Tour of Langkawi.	Stage 1 podium: 2nd Tyler Farrar (Garmin-Cervelo), 1st Andrea Guardini (Farnese Vini - Neri Sottoli), 3rd Kenny Van Hummel (Skil-Shimano)

Stage 2:  Kusadasi → Turgutreis, 181 km  Full Results and Report

After a long transfer to Kusadasi the night before, photographer @veloimages woke up to this. "Wish I had a day at least to enjoy it!"	A warm reception at the start in Kusadasi	Kusadasi start rollout with the Aegean Sea in the background
Loyal fans	Alessandro Petacchi (Ita/Lampre - ISD) just missed out on the win today after being knocked around in the sprint finish yesterday	The three modest climbs on this rolling stage were difficult enough for the race leader, Andrea Guardini (Farnese Vini), who lost over 4 minutes today
	Coastal panoramic
	Garmin-Cervelo leading the chase	Andre Griepel
Saxo-Bank	The mass sprint finish in Turgutreis less yesterday's race leader. Alessandro Petacchi (Ita/Lampre - ISD) on the far right leading with 100m to go.	Valentin Iglinskiy (Astana) came off of Alessandro Petacchi's wheel for a surprise win. He's also the new race leader.

Stage 3:   Bodrum → Marmaris, 166 km  Full Results and Report

The start in Bodrum	Heading inland for several climbs	André Greipel (Omega Pharma-Lotto) looking to make it over the climbs and contest the expected bunch sprint finish
Marek Canecky of the Turkish team, Manisaspor, getting the main break started		Astana setting the pace behind the break...
	Two climbs hit 700m elevation today which shed half of the sprinters like Tyler Farrar and the race leader Valentin Iglinskiy (Astana)	The break: Marek Canecky (Manisaspor), Luis Felipe Laverde (Colombia ès passion), Arthur Vichot (FDJ) and Yoann Bagot (Cofidis). The remnants of this break were eventually caught with 11 km to go
More loyal fans
Lampre and Astana at the front	With some sprinters shed on the climbs, Lampre was now at the front driving the pace	Lampre at the front on the dusty roads near the finish. Yesterday's race leader, Valentin Iglinskiy (Astana) did not make the split.
The finish line entertainment	A sprint finish without many of the pure sprinters: 1st Manuel Belletti (Ita) Colnago - CSF Inox, 2nd Roberto Ferrari (Ita) Androni Giocattoli, 3rd Wesley Sulzberger (Aus) FDJ, 4th Alessandro Petacchi (Ita) Lampre - ISD. Manuel Belletti continues the trend of the stage winner assuming the race lead at this year's Tour of Turkey.

Stage 4:  Marmaris → Pamukkale, 209 km  Full Results and Report

The rollout from Marmaris. All gassed up and ready for a tough stage.	Spidertech's Will Routley launched an attack right from the gun	Near the top of the first climb as the peloton leaves the Mediterranean coast
Alessandro Petacchi (Lampre-ISD) on the fast descent of the first climb in the rain. We'll see him again later.	Victor Hugo Pena (COLOMBIA ES PASION - CAFE DE COLOMBIA) leading the chase	Gaps forming on the chopping rollers in the pouring rain
Omega Pharma-Lotto talking it over	km 115, eight riders off the front led by Andrey ZEITS (Astana). Also in the break Peterson, Wurf, Dyachenko, Fouchard, Mourey, Pinot and Bertogliati.	There were a few spills needless to say
Spidertech's hard man Svein Tuft was aggressive in the latter half of the stage		The rain has let up
Lots of local fan support again		With 40k to go, the chase was 1 minute back
Break and chase perspective with Julien Fouchard (Cofidis) at the front	Svein Tuft (Spidertech) bridged up to lone break survivor Julien Fouchard (Cofidis), but they were caught with less than 1 km to go	Alessandro Petacchi (Lampre-ISD) surges up to and past Bartosz Huzarski (NetApp) in a strung sprint finish. Although Bartosz Huzarski (NetApp) missed out on the win, he's now the new race leader. If he hadn't looked around so much at the finish and just kept pedaling he may have won. Yesterday's leader Manuel Belletti (Colnago - CSF Inox) abandoned mid-race.
Alessandro Petacchi (Lampre-ISD) timed it right today after a hard stage

Stage 5:  Denizli → Fethiye, 221 km  Full Results and Report

The start in Denizli	Lampre getting a break started	Peloton could not catch the break on the first climb
	Liquigas' Cameron Wurf (Aus) did a lot of work in the main break. Garmin's Tom Peterson on the left would become the new race leader at the end of the day.	A good road side crowd again today
Turkish pride is everywhere	NetApp unsuccessfully pulled for much of the chase and Bartosz Huzarski lost the race lead today	With a good representation of teams in the break there wasn't much motivation in the peloton to bring it back
	Liquigas' Cameron Wurf (Aus) at the front of the ten man break again	Alexander Efimkin (Rus) Team Type 1 - Sanofi Aventis
The break leaving the mountains behind and heading back to the coast	And the break carries on past poppies	Matteo Rabottini (Ita) Farnese Vini put in a strong, solo dig with 1 km to go but was dying near the end
Alexander Efimkin (Rus) Team Type 1 - Sanofi Aventis charging up behind Rabottini in the final 300m but he left it too late. What's the point in looking over your shoulder with 10m to go other than to slow yourself down? Rabottini gets his first pro win nonetheless.	Your new race leader, Garmin-Cervelo's Tom Peterson, will take a 27s lead over Cameron Wurf (Aus) Liquigas-Cannondale into stage 6	Your stage 5 podium with the stage 5 winner Matteo Rabottini (Ita) Farnese Vini flanked by Alexander Efimkin (Rus) Team Type on his right (your left)

Stage 6:  Fethiye → Finike, 194 km  Full Results and Report

Alessandro Petacchi (Ita) Lampre - ISD, leader of the points classification, getting a shoeshine prior to the start	The rollout from Fethiye	Spidertech's Svein Tuft was aggressive again today this time instigating an early attack
Team Type 1 beating the odds today in more ways than one
Garmin's Sep Vanmarcke leading the peloton up one of the climbs attempting to bring back the break	Andalucia Caja Granada chipping in with the chase work	The chase along the Mediterranean coast
Race leader, Tom Peterson of Garmin, in big trouble as the peloton was unable to bring back the break	Andre Greipel (Ger) Omega Pharma - Lotto fighting to stay on the back of the break	Garmin's sprinters Murilo Fischer...
... and Tyler Farrar weren't able to do the domestique role today and both finished over 11 minutes back.	Lampre taking a turn at the front	Team Type 1 driving the break with Alexander Efimkin (Rus) the virtual leader on the road
This break wasn't coming back with Team Type 1, FDJ and Astana driving hard on the front. Garmin's Tom Peterson would slip from 1st to 4th today as the break finished over 2 minutes ahead. Team Type 1's Alexander Efimkin becomes the 6th new race leader in six days.	Break member Andre Greipel (Ger) Omega Pharma - Lotto didn't stick his nose into the wind until it mattered most. He easily won the bunch sprint in Finike

Stage 7:  Tekirova → Manavgat, 138 km  Full Results and Report

FDJ and other teams waved the Turkish flag today...		Team Type 1 (race leaders) pre-stage meeting. No team has successfully defended the race lead this week. Ie. there have been 6 leaders in 6 days.
Japan's Takashi Miyazawa (Farnese Vini) checking out the stage profile	The Turkish-based Manisaspor squad leading the first break of the day, with a KOM just 4 km from start
Team Type 1 attempting to be the first team to keep their man in Turquoise this week	The peloton traversing the gorgeous coastline	Four man break
Entering Antalya	Race leader, Alexander Efimkin (Rus) Team Type 1 - Sanofi Aventis
Last break of the day	First year pro, Andrea Guardini (Ita) Farnese Vini-Neri Sottoli, chalked up his second win of the week and eighth of the year.	The jersey leaders. Race leader Alexander Efimkin (Rus) Team Type 1 - Sanofi Aventis is looking for the overall win

Stage 8:  Side → Alanya, 158 km  Full Results and Report

Italy's Alessandro Petacchi (Lampre - ISD) looking at home at the start in Side, the final stage of this year's Tour of Turkey	The rollout from Side	The Turkish-based Manisaspor squad instigating the first break of the day for the second day in a row
	Andre Greipel
	Starting the five finishing circuits in Alanya	Spidertech's Will Routley
A time out at the front of the chase	The oldest rider in the race, 41 year-old Andrea Noe (Farnase Vini) at the front	Farnase Vini at the front although their main man who won two stages this week, Andrea Guardini, wouldn't figure in the sprint finish today
Team Type 1 sensing the overall win is in sight	One lap to go	A full on field sprint which looks to be slightly uphill
While the big boys Andre Greipel (Omega Pharma-Lotto) and Alessandro Petacchi (Lampre-ISD) battle it out, Kenny Van Hummel (Skil - Shimano) slips through for the win	The top three were paid off in bananas today. "The Gorilla" (Andre Greipel, left) didn't mind.	Team Type 1 with its biggest win to date; Alexander Efimkin (Rus) Team Type 1 - Sanofi Aventis is the overall winner
FDJ wins the team classification. The youngest rider in the race, 20 year-old Thibaut Pinot (Fra) FDJ, was also third overall.